woodhouse: becoming an alive neighborhood

MA Landscape ArchitectureMA Urban Design

CITIES ALIVE 2015Marc Bori, Linn Svanh, Martina Maria Taroni

2ResearchIntroductionResearch objectivesAimsHIntroduction to urban agricultureUrban agriculture gardens typologyLand accessFood growing principlesGrowing food in schoolsChildren relation with foodNational curriculumSustainability networksCase studies

Site analysisLocationContextTopographyInfrastructureGreen spacesLocal activitiesBuilding useHouses typology

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3This study is focused on the idea of creating an alternative green corridor to the existing idea of the String o Breads, connecting Woodhouse Moor (Leeds Edible Campus) to Woodhouse Ridge. This idea comes after the observation of the lack of green spaces in the Woodhouse neighbourhood. This project will be focusedin more then one area, trying to create a real green network. It will involve two public ground and the local primary school (Quarry Mount primary school) ground. The idea is to involve all the residents withoutdistinction of genre, age, background.

It will be use as a social connector, as health, HQYLURQPHQWDO DQG HFRQRPLF EHQHWbut also as educational instrument to make the children aware about the food production and preparation and to give more skills in term of the nature.

String o Breads LEC green expansion

Project green expansion

Sites green spaces connection

Connection with outside green

Leeds Edible Campus

Green spaces

Green spaces in the study area

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4Examination of key principles of designing natural playground in school and green spaces for the community, both productive and for leisure.

Relating to the school, having a productive ground is important under different points of view. First of all it will increase the VRFLDO EHQHWV DV LW ZLOO KHOS WR FUHDWH VWURQJHU IULHQGVKLS WRimprove children behaviour inside and outside the school, it will help to promote outdoor activities (then exercise) and to revise the school curriculum including gardening and cooking programs.

5HJDUGV WR KHDOWK EHQHWV LW ZLOO KHOS WKH FKLOGUHQ WR KDYHa healthier diet and to avoid the problem of oversize/obese children and to overtake the problem of deprivation which DILFW PDQ\ IDPLOLHV ,QGHHG WKH LGHD LV WR H[SDQG WKHproject also outside the school and to involve parents and other members of the community to start to grow their of vegetables and fruits giving them the proper collective spaces or promoting the Back to Front project which can be easily realized in every garden.

7KHZKROHFRPPXQLW\ZLOOEHQHWRIWKLVSURMHFWEHFDXVHLWZLOOKHOSWRincrease the quality of public realm, the social cohesion. Through the outdoor activities it will help to improve the lifestylestandards and the mental health, which is directly connected with happiness and satisfaction.

It will limit the deprivation as if the people will start to produce WKHLURZQIRRGWKH\ZLOOEHFRPHVHOIVXIFLHQF\UHGXFLQJOLIHVFRVWV$WODVWLWZLOOJLYHWRWKHDUHDHQYLURQPHQWDODQGHFRORJLFDOEHQHWVDVLWwill help to build a sustainable landscape and to increase the biodiversity.

happiness

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biodiversity

higher

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higher life standard

planet care

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social cohesion places

beautiness

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5AIMS

6GARDENSBENEFITS

SOCIAL BENEFITS ECONOMIC BENEFITS

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

HEALTH BENEFITS

A garden gives an higher value to propertiest

HOUSE VALUE

Gardens are an expense but the investiment is returned not just in enjoyment but in actual financial

benefits

Urban and street planted trees en-chance economic stability of locali-ties and community by attracting

business and tourists

IMPROVE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY

Around 20% of the value of a house is tied up in the landscape

Trees absorbe CO2

Trees filter the air and help remove harmful particulates from the atmosphere

Every garden plant is a bio-filtration system for the planet

Plants can prevent floods, drought and soil erosion

Plants help to preserve biodiversity and wildlife

There is a community amongst gardeners. Gardening has always served as a way to break down some of social

barriers

SHARE KNOWLEDGE AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

IMPROVE SOCIETY

Gardening is utilised to build teams and

educateThere are benefits to the individual via the com-munity gardening such as improved life quality,

personal satisfaction and enjoyment

BENEFITS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL

Promote a community atmosphere and allowing people an opportunity to meet others, share concerns, share skills and solve problems together

BUILD COMMUNITIES

EDUCATION

Yard care and gardening activ-ities have a direct impact on the neighborhood and com-

munity environment

Gardening is a preferred form of exercise across age, gender and ethnicity

The presence of vegetable gardens in innercity neighborhoods is positively correlated with decre-

as in crime, trash dumping, young delinquency, fires, violent deaths and mental illness

Garden links different sector of cities; diverse age, race, ethnic and socioeco-

nomic group

LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE

Green triggers a response in the sympathetic nervous system to

relive tension in the blood vessels and lowers the blood

pressure

GARDENING BENEFITS YOUR HEALTH

AIR FILTRATION

SOIL CARE

WILDLIFE

As an activity it is a means of aerobic, isometric and isotonic exercise, the combination of which benefits general health but specifically enhance

strenght, endurance, flexibility

RELIEVE STRESSThe physicality of gardening releases endorphins which helps to alelviate stress and

its side effects

EAT HEALTHIER

CONNECT WITH NATURE

Gardening offers a relationship with nature which provides a

sense of psychological wellbeing

Families with home veg-etable garden eat more fruit and vegetables for

improved nutrition

People who interact with plants recover more quickly from everyday stress and

mental fatigue

School based programs have significant health effect on young people, help to promote active

lifestyles that counteract the pas-sivity associated with the obesity

epidemic

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7Urban agriculture plays an important role as part of an environmental sustainability program. Physically, it increases green space, which reduces the urban heat island, storm water runoff, and improves air quality. Because food is produced locally, urban agriculturealso reduces energy consumption and pollutionassociated with transportation. Urban agricultureDOVR SURYLGHV VRFLDO EHQHWV E\ SURYLGLQJ LQH[SHQVLYHaccess to locally-grown produce.

Growing food in cities is becoming more and more popular. Not only are older generations of allotment holders still gardening happily, but also a new wave of younger people are seeking land in and beyond allotments. Small, intensive urban farms, food production on housing estates, land sharing, rooftop gardens and beehives, schoolyard greenhouses, restaurant-supportedsalad gardens, public space food production, guerrilla gardening, allotments, balcony and window sill vegetable growing and other initiatives are just a few examples.This wide range of initiatives is more and moreoften referred to as urban agriculture.

8UEDQ DJULFXOWXUH 8$ LV GHQHG DV WKH JURZLQJprocessing and distribution of food and other productsobtained through plant cultivation and animal husbandryin and around cities, generally with the aim of beingsold locally (rather than exported).

POSITIVEEducation about seasonality of food, which can lead to more sustainable consumption habitsSoil rehabilitation bio and myco remediation of polluted soils, increased soil fertility andbiodiversity

Recycling of organic waste to keep nutrients local

Increased community activity, physical exercise

Re-education of taste: possibility of eating vegetables not usually available in the supermarketsImproved mental health and relations with the local community

Affordably of fresh, organic food all year round

Reduced carbon footprints of food, when recycled materials are used, waste is minimised and organic agriculture is practiced

Reconstruction of food commons (when public land is managed collectively but not appropriated),renormalizing the possibility of foraging andgath-ering food, grow food collectively

Increased consumption of sustainable locally pro-duced food (increased self-reliance) and building alternative food regimes, food sovereignty

Snowball effect and greater reconnection of hu-mans with nature

Alternative, visionary urbanism, which reconciledsociety and nature, an embeds food productionin the urban realm

Misuse of commercially available chemicals as fer-tilisers, insecticides, herbicides, whose traces in the environment endanger human health

Increased groundwater pollution and loss of soil nutrients from poorly managed soilsCouncil encouragement to local food growing DV MXVWLFDWLRQ IRU VXEVWDQWLDO FXWV LQ ZHOIDUHservices (public health budgets)Increased energy inputs to grow vegetables unsuitable for the local climatePoor management of community gardens, FRQLFWLQJSURMHFWVXQHTXDOVKDULQJRISURGXFHIncreased rent of allotments due to high demand

Increased carbon emissions for food production,when gardening involves the use of a numberof carbon impacting things such as commerciallyproduced compost, plastic netting bought annually, slug pellets, plastic pots and labelsfor seedlings that are not re-used, plasticsheets and other consumables

Enclosure (or privatisation) of public land for food JURZLQJMXVWLHGDVVDYLQJFRXQFLOPDQDJHPHQWcosts, which reduced public access andownership of common resources

Strengthening unjust ecological security policies VHOIVXIFLHQF\DLPHGDWPDLQWDLQLQJQHROLEHUDOregimes and unsuitable consumption patterns)Uselessly long waiting lists of allotments, and OLWWOHEHQHFLDOSURGXFWLYHXVHRIDOORWPHQWODQG*HQWULFDWLRQ RI QHLJKERXUKRRGV DQG WKHconse-quent displacement of the lesswealthy population

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Chiara Tornaghi (2014) - How to set up your own urban agricultural project with a socio-environmental justice perspective.

A guide for citizens, community groups and third sector organisations - Leeds, The University of Leeds

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Guerrilla Gardens - These gardens are a quite wide family of projects, linked together by the fact that they are created by someone, on someone elses land, without asking permission. 7KHVH FDQ EH RZHU PHDGRZV RQderelict land, vegetable patches on

Enclosed Community Gardens Many community gardens are not located on public land, but are rather located on private land. Most of the WLPHWKLVLPSOLHVDUHVWULFWHGGHQLWLRQof which community can potentiallybe involved. Examples could be hospital community gardens, projects

Vertical Gardens - They are usually growing projects that extend vertically along a wall, or a window, or occasionally the plants themselves constitute the wall, and grow in containers attached to vertical cables.

Healing Gardens - These are growing SURMHFWVVSHFLFDOO\GHGLFDWHGWRKHDOLQJThey tend to grow medicinal/aromatic plants, are designed in ways that please the senses, and are run to support VSHFLF JURXSV WKURXJK JDUGHQLQJor creative activities around and in between the plants. They are often

Display Gardens - Small edible beds, IRUPHURZHUSODQWHUVRUFRPPXQLW\gardens set up in public, openly accessible space that are planted with edible plants to inspire people to grow. They lend to be man-aged by local authorities, and to be aesthetically pleasing, therefore the plants are not

Educational Gardens - Food growing projects that have as their main goal horticultural, envi-ronmental and/or food-related education (i.e. cooking, healthier lifestyle, etc.). Almost all the existing gardening projects have an educational element.

Public Accessible Community Gardens - this is probably the most known type of urban agricultural initiative. These gardens are located

Public orchards A number of local councils are investing in the future and planting fruit and nut trees on public land. The

usually harvested and people are not encouraged to pick the fruit and veg.

reclaimed land scattered around the city. Guerrilla gardens tend to be temporary but if the project gets permission, then thisbecomes a community garden.

managed by, or run in partnership with, health institutions.

for young single mothers or female victims of violence, asylum seekers and refugees, street drinker rehabilitation projects.

in parks, street verges, urban greens,city squares or other locations where they can be accessed by largerpublic all the time. Plants are grownin containers, dedicated raised beds, greenhouses, or straight into the soil.

act of planting itself is sometimes done in partnership with local community organisations or institutions, such as primary schools. Public orchards constitute the basis for a bountiful harvest in a few years time.

9Allotments - Probably the most widespread form of urban food growing. While most forms of commercial and household food growing have progressivelydisappeared from the urban fabric in the last century, allotments have been re-introducedor become regulated by public authorities. In the UK it is a statutory duty of local

Market Gardens and Commercial Farms

Private Gardens - Alongside all these types of urban agriculture we also have to consider the wide range of interstitial practises that grow food within the fabricof the city: balcony pots and window sill containers, front and back garden

authorities to provide allotments when there is demand. Allotments plots are usually of a standard size (originally 10x30), and can be rented by individuals (a smaller number of plots can be rented by community groups). Allotments sites are usually fenced and restrict access to members of the public. Produce cannot be sold commercially, but can be sold when it is excess produce, with the purpose of raising funds for their allotment association or can be exchanged/sold among members of the allotment association.

7KHVH DUH SURW RULHQWHG YHUVLRQVof the above. They also tend to be middle-sized projects, but are less likely to receive ex-ternal funding. Some have adapted to the growing demand for leisure and educational services, and combine vegetable (and meat) production with recreational activities for family and children and offer some educational opportunities, in the form of short courses. Some of these, smaller in size, specialise in the propagation of specialist plants for edible landscaping.

plant growing and animal rearing, beekeeping and seed sprouting.

Community Forest Gardens Forest gardens are usually woody areas planted with edible (perennial) species following permaculture principles. This means that the gardens are designed to mimic the positive interaction between VSHFLHVWKDWZHVSRQWDQHRXVO\QGLQnature, but maximising the number of

Indoor Growing - Urban agriculture does not only occur outdoors. More and more projects are looking into how to convert empty buildings into IRRGJURZLQJSURMHFWVXVLQJQDWXUDORUDUWLFLDOlight, or for activities that do not need much light VXFK DV PXVKURRP JURZLQJ DQG VK IDUPLQJ

Urban Farms - Urban farms are usually middle sized sites within the city, that combine vegetable growing, animal husbandry, leisure and educational activities. Sometimes they run a caf or small restaurant with the local produce, they have play areas and offer growing spaces for local schools,

Landshare Gardens - Landshare gardens are privately owned (usually front or back gardens) that property owners decide to share, or to let people(landless) who are willing to grow use for free. Landshare provides a number RIEHQHWVLWHQFRXUDJHVWKHH[FKDQJHof skills, pro-duce sharing, community

edible species. While less common than vegetable gardens, edible forest gardens are increasingly becoming a preferential choice of local communities WKDW KDYH GLVFRYHUHG WKH EHQHWV RI FKRRVLQJ SHUHQQLDO HGLEOH SODQWV

community groups or families. In the UK they are usually co-foundedby local councils and other charities for the educational services that they provide.

building and personal and emotional support to lone householders.

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ONGOING LEASE This type of lease is especially designed for farmers. The ongoing term is particularly suitable for new projects seeking start-up fund to buy the infrastructured needed.

TEMPORARY USES These are occupational leases, or growing licenses, signed on atemporary basis, which usually are renewed annually.

MEANWHILE USES These are temporary leases for a space that would normally be used for other activities. This can be idea for container growing, as the soil PLJKWEHFRQFUHWHGRYHURUQRWW IRU DJULFXOWXUH DQG VWUXFWXUHVthat can easily be moved elsewhere once the lease ends.

SQUATTING It means taking over someone elses land (usually abandoned) to grow food, establishing some sort of infrastructure thataims to be permanent. Squatting is usually more long term than guerrilla gardening, but to make it sustainable needs an energy and QDQFLDOLQYHVWPHQWLQOHJDOEDWWOHVWRFODLP\RXUULJKWWRJURZIRRGon this land.

GUERILLA GARDENING It is the cultivation of a plot/portion of land without permission, but without appropriation/enclosure of the land. This is usually atemporary and unsecured way of accessing land. Guerilla approaches dont secure you a harvest.

LAND SHARE It is an informal agreement between a landowner and one or more food growers. Several organisations promote forms of land share.The most know is the nationwide LandShare (www.landshare.net)

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PATHS - Paths provide space to work comfortably in the gardenand they allow the garden to breathe without them, the rowscan get trampled and the tiny air pockets that are essential tosoil healthy can get choked off. Ideal to mark the paths are straw,wood chips, bluestone pavers, brick or stepping stones.

SUN It absolutely one of the main requirements of the plants, which need at least six hours of sun a day. When growing in the lower range of sun exposure, its better to choose carefullythe plants species, such as herbs, all of the leafy greens and somesmall fruiting as cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. Carrots, potatoes and other root vegetables need at least eight hours of sunshine, and plants such as tomatoes, peppers, melons and squash will not producelarge fruits that ripen to colour without full sun. Plants draw energyfrom sunlight, and producing a large, colourful fruit requires much more energy than producing a small fruit or leafy vegetable.

IRRIGATION Key components of any irrigation system are well, pump and proper size main and lateral lines. Frequently these components are undersized for the area to be watered, and serious LQHIFLHQFLHVRFFXU6LQFHSURSHUHQJLQHHULQJRIDZDWHULQJV\VWHPis necessary, it is important to carefully determine the area to be irrigated with consideration towards increased capacity. Overheadsprinkling is one of the most commonly used methods of irrigatinggreenhouse. Other irrigation methods include drip or trickleand subirrigation. General information on each of these systemsfollows, with mention of some of the major advantagesand disadvantages associated with each method.

SOIL - Well-prepared soil acts as the immune system of the plants. Its ideal to have 12-18 inches of nutrient-dense, deeply aerated soil to give plants what they need to thrive. If a plant is well nourishedby healthy soil, its less susceptible to disease and less appealing to insectsEHFDXVH SHVWV DWWDFN VLFN RU ZHDN SODQWV UVW &RPSRVWVXSHUFKDUJHV WKH VRLO ZLWK EHQHFLDO EDFWHULD FDUERQ DQG QXWULHQWV

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The Feed Leeds co-managed project builds on existing food-growing and biodiversity projects in the city centre to Hyde park corridor (and beyond), linking schemes run by a number of organisations, and encouraging new plots, to help create an inspirational demonstration of how Leeds could be more healthy and more sustainable through the creative, ecological growing of edible plants. Leeds Edible campus sites include Edible Beds outside the Civic Hall, Leeds Unis Sustainable Garden, the Bardon Grande project, LCC Parks and Countrysides edible beds on Woodhouse Moor and other food and biodiversity planting schemes. The aim was to create an ediblecorridor incorporating a variety of projects and to explore ideas and designs for incorporating edibleplants into the city landscape to create aesthetically pleasing, productive planting.

Back to Front is a community organisation set up to promote food growing in front gardens so that they look good and taste better. Growing food at home gives people a chance to exercise, eat fresher food, spend less money on groceries, feel better and help the environment. Front garden growing improves the look and feel of your street and is super-convenient for growers. But Back to Front gardening is much more than this; it is about how neighbours talk and share and grow together as communities.

It is an innovative, creative and dynamic environmental community organisation. It works with local communities to improve theirsurroundings, designing and creating attractive, exciting, safe and useful places for people to live, work and play. Improving the wellbeing of people and communities is at the heart of what they do. Through our work we facilitate the Five Ways to Wellbeing, encouraging people and communities to Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learn-ing and Give.

Feed Leeds is a plot to plate project supporting food growers and would-be growers, shop and markets, schools, caterers and cooks, in fact anyone who feels that fresh, local, affordable, sustainable and healthy food should be widely available in Leeds. The combined aim of all the different projects and organisations is essentially to develop and support local food growing and consumption in Leeds, DQGWRUHVHDUFKDQGSURPRWHWKHVLJQLFDQWHFRQRPLFVRFLDOHQYLURQPHQWDODQGKHDOWKEHQHWVWKH\SRWHQWLDOO\EULQJWRWKHFLW\

Leeds Edible Schools Sustainability Network (LESSN) has been formed to help promote local food growing and consumption, healthy lifestyles and sustainability in Leeds schools and communities. We aim to recognise, enhance and share great ideas, to celebrate achievements large and small, to help connect schools with local support, volunteers, and national initiatives, and to provide interactive curriculum-based online learning resources, practical help and more.

The Healthy Living Network have delivered a number of projects across the city- including our incredibly successful Community Health Educator programme, which trains local people to support their communities in making small changes towardsimproving their health and wellbeing. It delivers health education sessions in deprived areas of the city.

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5RWKHUHOG3ULPDU\VFKRROLVVLWXDWHGLQ,VOLQJWRQ/RQGRQZKHUHPDQ\RIWKHSXSLOVOLYHLQDWVZLWKRXWDQ\JDUGHQV7KHJRYHUQPHQWDQGKHDGWHDFKHUdecided to do something about it and came up with the idea of transforming the grey schoolyard into a green garden as a learning resource.

The edible playground has been a huge success among the children and has improved the school in many ways. Not only do they use it for gardening but for different subjects such as math, English and writing. They also got a woodland area with grown up trees for relaxing and assembling, an outdoor classroom where the children could gather for story times or reading a book in the woodhouse. The pupils got taught how to grow and harvest the vegetables in a practical way which encourages them to cook and eat healthy.

The garden is maintained by the pupils where every class is responsible for their own planting bed. They also got volunteers by the children, their par-ents and grandparents who look after the garden during the holidays.

West Jesmond is a suburb just north of the central of Newcastle upon Tyne. 14 years ago a parent of a pupil in the primary school, together with a member of the Highbury South Allotment Association organized an allotment for the school to take care of. This project have now grown and exist WRGD\RIVHYHUDOSORWVDOOPDLQWDLQHGE\WKHSXSLOV7KHSORWVDUHVHOIVXIFLHQWE\VHOOLQJWKHSURGXFHGSODQWVWRWKHVFKRRODQGWRSULYDWHSHUVRQVRQdifferent sales.

The school is using these plots as an outdoor classroom for the older pupils, where they today got a lot of different biotopes. The allotment room raised beds, greenhouses, an orchard, a pond, a marsh garden, picnic tables and a willow tunnel. This gives the pupils new possibilities for practical learning and they use the plots on a weekly basis to dig, weed, plant out, harvest etc.

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The garden along Leaf Street in Manchester was an act from the local residents in 2000. The area existed of a wide pathway, full of weed, in between two rows of red brick buildings. They wanted to turn it into a community garden where the residents could interact with each other and grow food together. This is a good example of the phenomena Guerilla gardening were the locals decided to do it on their own and started to dig up the pathway. Fruit trees and shrubs were planted and they built a big herb spiral made of railroad ties. A pathway of wood chips meanders through the park and has replaced the former wide concrete pedestrian walk.

The garden is loved and has a strong identity by its locals and is now a good example of a resilient community. Here they produce their own vegeta-bles, fruits and herbs together in the community which makes a positive impact on the climate. It is an inspiration for other communities to grow food locally and stop importing vegetables from all over the world.

7KLV3RS8S*DUGHQLQ3KLODGHOSKLD86LVIXQGHGE\WKHQRQSURWRUJDQL]DWLRQ3HQQV\OYDQLD+RUWLFXOWXUDO6RFLHW\3+6RQDYDFDQWORWWKDWKDVEHHQneglected for many years. It was in 2011 that they transformed this waste land near 15th and South Streets into a temporary urban resort. The land is situated just six blocks from the City Hall which makes the area perfect to attract city dwellers to step by and take part of all the activities that goes on here.

Among the activities, food growing is one of them. Here they produce vegetables for local restaurants and to families in need through the PHS City Harvest program. The food is grown organically in dozens of raised beds and is maintained by several community garden groups. Other activities going on are workshops, yoga-classes, movie nights, parties, gardening walks etc.

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,Q1RWWLQJKDPDOXVKFRPPXQLW\JDUGHQKDVEHHQUDLVHGRQSDUWVRIDGLVXVHGSOD\LQJHOGE\LWVORFDOUHVLGHQWVLQ,WLVVLWXDWHGLQWKHPHDGRZVa central place in Nottingham that is very underprivileged and got residences from all over the world. With partnership from local communities and volunteers the garden started to transform in 2003. From the beginning, a hedge, fruit trees and raised beds were planted, but now the community has grown a lot more.

The garden now holds 19 small plots that measure 1.5 square meters, where the locals could grow their own food. A tyre garden made of recycled tractor tyres are used for raising herbs and strawberries. The big growing circle in the garden provides crops for every season of the year and is maintained and harvested by the community. The garden today even got hens that lay eggs and keep slugs and snails away from the plants. The hens even help out with the compost area where they move around the weed and food scraps.

An eco- building where built in the garden after getting funding from the Big Lottery Found in 2012. This made it also possible to employ staff and JRRQZLWKWKHZRUNIRUIRXUPRUH\HDUV,QWKHQHZHFREXLOGLQJWKH\JRWWUDLQLQJURRPVIRUPHHWLQJVDQGOHVVRQVDNLWFKHQDQGRIFH,WNHHSVWKHcommunity active even during the winter and is even available for leasing to other groups and communities. The community holds activities apart from gardening such as dancing, yoga, and cooking. This is a good way to bring the different people in the community together and let them try new things from all parts of the world.

The Arkwright Meadows Community Garden holds a lot of events where they celebrate the cultural diversity of the community and sales when residents could come and buy vegetables. They aim to sell organic fruits, plants and vegetables with reasonable prices for the community to eat healthy DQGORFDO7KHFRPPXQLW\JDUGHQLVDSODFHIRUUHOD[LQJDQGUHFUHDWLRQDVZHOODVZRUNDQGHGXFDWLRQ7KH\WUDLQWKHLUYROXQWHHUVWRJHWTXDOLFDWLRQVand therefore be able to get a job in the green sector.

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SITE

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Woodhouse is a largely residential area just north of the city centre of Leeds (West Yorkshire) and home of the University of Leeds, which is in the Hyde Park and Woodhouse ward of City of Leeds metropolitan district.The name Woodhouse is likely to derive from Old English wudu (wood) and hus (houses).

Woodhouse is now a largely working-class area, with a racially diverse population and a sizeable student community.

The area climbs a hill rising from Woodhouse Moor, adjacent to the University of Leeds, and backs onto woodland known as Woodhouse Ridge, a part of the Meanwood Valley Trail and the Forest of Leeds.

Older residences are largely redbrick back-to-back and through terraced housing. There are also concrete councilhouses (the Holborn Estate) and a mixtureof more modern buildings, particularlystudent accommodation.

Furthermore, there are other older buildings like the Anglican parish church of St Marks, currently disused but being renovated for use by Gateway Church Leeds, the Quarry Mount Primary School, and several public houses that provide historical character and architectural value to the area.

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The local topograhpy consists of ridges and spurs of land, but in general it slopesto the city centre. Travel into the city generate the general impression of descending to the city centre, beinginvolved into the urban building mass.

7KLV IDFW UHHFWV KRZ WKH JUHHQ VSDFHVaround the area have been adapted to the tophography. Creating a diverse urban landscape and allowing the creation of a great green infrastructure around the city HQDEOLQJWRQGIURPVPDOOSULYDWHJDUGHQVto woodlands.

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ANALYSIS

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Primary roads

KEY

Secondary roadsLocal roadsPedestrian paths

The area is well supplied by a great infrastructure network.There are few main road crossing it, which can guarantee an easy move-ment by car. There also few bus lines driving through them, which means that also the residents which dont have a car have the possibility to move around.There is a good network of minor roads which are safer and better used also by the cyclist and pedestrian. This is really important in an area mostly populated by young people and students.

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Semi green spaces

Playground/sport pitches

Buildings

Cemetery

Allotments

Farmland

General greenKEY

Woodland

It can be seen from this map that there is a great quantity of different green spaceswhich connect Woodhouse Moor to Meanwood Farmland through Woodhouse Ridge.

The main concerning about them is the quality as not always they are well maintain and the value of the green featues is sometimes really low. Our main aim is to take the existing green spaces, improving them and thenconnecting them with new potentialgreen spaces with different function:community allotments, neighboor parksand school projects.

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Community centre garden

Friends and volunteers

CPULCommunity and public harvest

Strings o breads

Pennington street community garden

Council allotments

LEC

Bedford forest gardenKEY

Meanwood farm

This map shows the different activities which are already going on in the area. Most of the projects still involve a small part of the population or a restricted group of people, but they are trying to be more popular and spread out into the population. Anywayis really good that something is alreadyhappening, because it will be easierin the future to create a wider grid.

Three different big aims for the futureare represented by CPULs, LEC and String o breads route which try to connect every place in a green way.

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Community services

Commercial

Meanwood Urban FarmGreen spaces

Industrial

Student accomodation

Church

ResidentialKEY

Schools

This map shows that the project area is mainly dominated by residential buildings. There is an industrial area on the north east, but it is not that relevant for the project.There is the Quarry Mount Primary School and Nursery, with who it could be interesting to work, as it is exactly in the centre of this neighborhood. There are also another nursery (The Tiny Tree) and a high school (The Leeds Academy).There are also few shops which help to make this district more vital but they can be involve in a bigger project of improvement.

26

SITE

ANALYSIS

- HOU

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Back to back houses

Terraced houses

KEYSemi detached houses

From this map we can see that almost most of the houses in the area are semi detached or terraced, so in most of the cases they have the availability of a garden.Some of them are bigger and well maintained, others are mainly just a back or a front garden without enough space to grow. But nowadays some projectslike Back to Front are becoming more popular and these little spaces have the potential to become greener. Con-cerning to the back to back houseswho dont have a garden at all is importantto develop public green spaces where theycan enjoy outdoor activities.

CONT

ENTS

28

Design

Location & contextSite AnalysisHow the park looks nowDesign ConceptMaster PlanMaterials & FeaturesPlanting ListThe Edible WedgeSite VisualisationConclusions

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Location

United Kingdom Leeds Woodhouse

Context

Midgley Gardens

!e Midgley Gardens block is situated in the very middle of Woodhouse in Leeds. It is an important green space in the neighborhood as its the biggest one in the center of Woodhouse. In the outskirts there are a lot of green as the area is situated in between the Woodhouse Ridge and Woodhouse Moor.

Our mission in this project has been to link to-gether these two areas with a green corridor from south to north. !e Midgley Gardens with its great location and unused land is one of our green places that we want to develop to make it more appreciated and used by the local people.

Close to the site we have facilities as shops, pubs, Quarry Mount Primary school, the communi-ty centre and a church. !e city centre is in the southwest direction and is around 20 minutes walk from here.

scale 1:3750

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Situation todayWhen looking at the site today you probably wont be im-pressed. Half of it exists of a feral plot where many choose to dump their garbage. It is hard to enter as parts are covered with shrubbery and because of that, the only use is probably when someone decides to cross it because theyre too lazy go-ing around it.

!e other half of the block is better maintained and exists of small plots of cut grass in a pattern. Here we have pathways going through the area towards the middle of the site where a small furniture second hand and a grocery store with fresh fruits and vegetables are located.

On the site we also have the Moorside Social Club with a big parking space and on the other side an overgrown green area where people also tend to throw litter. !e two parts are divid-ed by a road for deliveries to the shops and the residents living here. !ere is a small path leading in between the houses to-wards the abandoned lot but it is closed in the end by a brick wall. Lots of garbage are dropped on the abandoned lot. Climbers with thorns and shrubbery makes the lot hard to enter.

Open grassland, divided by pathways.

A shortcut many people use every day. !e backyard of someones home, not so delightful.

Big open land of asphalt and no people present.

Delivery road divides the two parts of the site.

Small shop for fruits and vegetables.Furniture second hand with funny painting on the wall.

Badly trimmed bushes.

When looking analytical on the site we see that its surrounded by big roads on three sides. !is creates important nodes in the corners of the plot. Many people walk through the site every day when going from the residential area in northwest towards the city centre in south-east. In the north we also got landmarks as the pub and a church that could attract people coming from town.

Even if the block is big, the green space is scattered and divided in smaller parts. As we men-tioned before, we could have use of a bigger coherent green space in the middle of Woodhouse to be a resort for people and wildlife. !e abandoned plot on the le" in the map is of private ownership which could explain its bad maintenance. !e whole site today is very messy and unstructured. People tend to do whatever they want here without valuing or caring about the block. !is even a#ects the residents here, which also have a mess on their backyard.

!e Moorside Social Club, who got a big house in the southeast, seems to have it too big for their not so frequent use. We think there could be a better use to the house that includes the people of Woodhouse more. When walking in between the houses in the site you cant come any further because of a wall next to the abandoned plot. It is quite wide and could be open up to the public.

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Site analysis

!e local pub. Existing planting beds next to the pub. Parking and view over S:t Marks church.

Untidy backyards. Misleading name of the block. Shorttcut west of the plot.

Inbetween the houses.

Accessable for people.

scale 1:1500

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Concept!e main goals that we want to achieve here is to link together the parts of the site and make it part of peoples everyday life. By linking it together from south to north and le" to right, with the existing network around it, it will be easier to use.

By searching for information and reading about similar areas in England we gained knowledge about food growing projects. Food growing is a great way to raise the value of a neglected site and make people proud of it. !e more they are involved in the process, the better. We dont want to create something that people wont use, therefore we made a survey to ask the local people about food growing. As many said they would like to grow fruits and vegetables if they had possibility to, we could be surer that the site would be appreciated if you could grow food here.

!e residents of Woodhouse come from di#erent backgrounds and got dif-ferent ages, therefore we $nd it important that the design got something for everybody. Food growing is crossing these borders and makes people socialize with a wide range of people. We also found a lack of sporting facilities here, so a possibility to do sports on the site would be useful.

!e site today is very open and doesnt make you feel enclosed. We want to change that by making you feel enclosed and safe inside of it, yet with seeing the surrounding but not make it present everywhere you look. Where routs are crossing we see a possibility for a meeting point where people could gather and possibly meet new people. It is supposed to be a site for and by the locals, so an amount of %exibility is integrated in the design for their wishes and demands. It is not supposed to be completed from the $rst day, but something that evolves over time and make people feel like theyre part of the process and the success of the place.

Arkwright Meadows community Garden in Notting-ham, where people from di#erent cultures and back-grounds grow food together.

Manchester Leaf Street where local people transferred an abandoned backstreet into a place for food growing. If people want some-thing really bad they will do much to get it.

Philadelphia Pop Up Garden that drags a lot of people by holding campaigns and making social events. Sometimes people could be the attraction in themselves.

West Jesmond Primary School in Newcastle where the school, little by little, made up an allotment site, starting from just one. As it gets popular everyone wants to be part of it.

Inspiration

Transbounding

Local actionPeople attract people Starting from

scratch

Concept map scale 1:1000

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Design proposal!is is our design proposal for the new Midgley Gardens, a place that makes peo-ple proud. Some parts have been in need for a full renovation while some are just added a couple of things. In general this design connects the green space and has a lot of di"erent uses and plantings that we look closer into on the following pages.

scale 1:500

Design parts 1-41. Private allotments

2. Public park

3. Ornamental planting with edible plants

4. Picnic grassland

In the northern part of the abandoned lot we will make room for allotments so that people in Woodhouse have possibility to grow their own food. !e allotments could be rent out individually or in groups so that people could grow together and learn from each other.

Each plot is 3x3 meters but some are slightly bigger. When starting of the allotments some fruit trees will be planted to have something there from the beginning, the rest will devel-op a"er time. A hedge is also planted to frame the plots, avoiding fences but making it hard-er for unwanted thieves.

We want to create a park that is public and has something to o#er for everyone. Here you could stroll around in a green environment, having kids play safe in the naturalistic play-ground. Some teenagers playing basketball and an elder couple admiring the plants.

!e park is partly enclosed by the exist-ing brick wall but also by new tree- and bush planting. In planting beds vegetables are grown by enthusiasts in the community growing group, making it possible for every-one to pick up fresh herbs for dinner.

In the northern entrance there is an infor-mation board and a picnic table for visitors. Hopefully this park will be experienced by people even outside of Woodhouse, raising its reputation as neighborhood.

In the park we also got a part that is covered with perennials and many of them edible or used in the home. !is will become a proof that herbs could be both healthy and pretty at the same time.

In this mixture we found both low perenni-als and plants of decent height, situated in the back of the planting. !e $owers are mostly in yellow and pink, making this a shimmer-ing and colorful part of the park.

In the south of the area we want to connect two separate grasslands with scattered trees by removing the road and plant grass instead.

With very small e#ort we will then have a big-ger area for picnic or barbeques that will link together our block better. !is will be kept as an open area where we savethe nature that is here today.

Trees:Apple Malus x domestica Bird cherry Prunus avium Common cherry Prunus cerasusBushes: Sargents crabapple - Malus Sargentii

Plant list

Trees:Apple Malus x domesticaCommon pear Pyrus communisEuropean plum Prunus x domesticaLime tree Tilia cordata

Bushes: Black currant - Ribes nigrumEuropean elder Sambucus nigraFlowering quince Chaenomeles japonicaRaspberry - Rubus idaeus Red currant - Ribes rubrumSea buckthorn - Hippophae rhamnoidesSweetberry honeysuckle Lonicera caerulea var. kamschatica

Plant list

Plant listPerennials: Alum root HeucheraAnise hyssop Agastache foenicumArtichoke Helianthus tuberosusCaraways Carum carvi Chives Allium schoenoprasumCommon lovage - Levisticum o%cinaleGarden Strawberry Fragaria x ananassaHorse radish Armoracia rusticanaLadys mantle - Alchemilla mollisMarch-mallow Althea o%cinalisPink cone$ower Echinacea pallidaRhubarb Rheum rhabarbarum Sprue Asparagus o%cinalisStrasberry Fragaria x vescana

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Design parts 5-8

5. Kitchen garden

6. Meadow with perennial herbs

7. Planting bed with perennial herbs

8. Semi-dense bush planting with planting beds

In the corner of the new event square we will plant a new kitchen garden. !is could be used for cooking in the community house or to anyone fancying some fresh herbs.

In the south east corner we got elevated grass-land where we want to introduce some peren-nial herbs as well. !e existing grass mix will be kept on some places but added with some meadow plants and herbs. !is site is very sunny and dry so it will "t these plants well.

Plant listChives Allium schoenoprasusCommon oregano Origanum vulgareDill - Anethum graveolensGarden thyme !ymus vulgarisLemon balm Melissa o#cinalisParsley Petroselimum crispumRosemary Rosmarinus o#cinalis Spearmint Mentha spicata

Chives Allium schoenoprasusCommon stonecrop Sedum acreDropwort Filipendula vulgarisHyssop Hyssopus o#cinalisLesser calamint Calamintha nepetaScabish Centaurea scabiosaSheep sorrel Rumex acetosellaSprue Asparagus o#cinalisYellow bedstraw Galium verum

Plant list

Plant list

Plant list

Perennials:Caraways Carum carvi Chives Allium schoenoprasusCommon oregano Origanum vulgareGarden radish Raphanus sativusGarden thyme !ymus vulgarisHyssop Hyssopus o#cinalisLemon balm Melissa o#cinalis Spearmint Mentha spicataStrasberry Fragaria x vescana

Along the side of the community house some more perennial herbs will be planted. Close to the walk-way and the market place where many people pass by. As the existing planting bed is raised they will be in good height for picking up as well.

On this site today we "nd some bushes that divide the grassland from the road. In the de-sign we want to strengthen this line to frame the grassland and keep the road out of sight. We will do this by planting new trees and bushes in the existing planting.

On the inside of this planting we will arrange planting beds for community growing. Gar-den groups will plant, maintain and harvest the planting beds. !e harvest could then be sold on markets being hold here or in the lo-cal vegetable shop. Here they will sell herbs and vegetables from the season thats being raised in the surrounding area.

Trees: Common pear Pyrus communisCommon cherry - Prunus cerasusBushes:Black currant - Ribes nigrumGooseberry Ribes uva-crispaHazel Corylus avellana

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Before vs a!er

Design parts 9-10

9. Trees, bushes and open grassland 10. Community planting beds

Plant list Plant list

"e north part of the surrounding plant-ing is similar to the previous one. "ough we could have more trees as they wont shade the planting beds that much here. All trees and bushes being planted in the design are utility plants that could give us useful fruits or material. In the outskirts of the planting the grassland is kept as we cant hide the sight for the drivers.

Trees:Bird cherry Prunus avium Common pear Pyrus communisEuropean plum - Prunus x domestica Limetree - Tilia cordata

In this part the community will hold planting beds that their members will take care o#. We think that the amounts of planting beds here and in the park are reasonable for the community members to handle. As there isnt a communi-ty garden group today, they will have to start small before they could maintain all of the beds. A!er a while we think they will get popular though and more plant-ing beds could be placed all around the Midgley gardens.

Trees:Common pear - Pyrus communisLimetree - Tilia cordataBushes:Sweetberry honeysuckle Lonicera caerulea var. kamschatica

Design part 7 gets a more maintained and colourful look. It will form a welcom-ing entrance to the area where many people pass by.

Bushes: Black currant Ribes nigrumSea buckthorn - Hippophae rhamnoidesSweetberry honeysuckle Lonicera caerulea var. kamschatica

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!e meadow will also get a new look with more "owering species that is planted within the existing grass to create a good meadow mix.

!e half back-to back house will form a great wall to practice gra#ti and will become a place that the locals could shape as they want. !is goes hand- in- hand with the allotments that will become a green thriving place for garden enthusiasts